The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are not service-connected as they do not have a direct relationship to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and medical records provided no evidence of chronic disability during or immediately following service, and the examiner opined that the current conditions were not caused by any incidents in service.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease, multilevel disc bulges, and myofascial pain syndrome, lumbar spine, degenerative disc disease, cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2011
- Citation
- 1103010
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1103010.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's current degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is determined to be a result of his military service, and he is granted entitlement to service connection for this condition.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine as secondary to his service-connected spinal fusion is dismissed due to a withdrawal request.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease, cervical spine prior to December 10, 2014, due to a failure by the VA examiner to provide a retrospective opinion that complies with the Board's remand instructions.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's right ankle condition and irritable bowel syndrome, but granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information. How we handle your email.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.